A shocking number of children worldwide are suffering from an eating disorder, a sweeping analysis suggests.
In an analysis of 32 studies including 63,181 people, researchers from Spain and Ecuador found that 22 percent of children seven to 18 years old showed signs of disordered eating. Girls were more likely to exhibit symptoms than boys.
The signs of disordered eating can morph into a full-blown eating disorder, which the researchers warned is among the most deadly psychiatric conditions of all. The most common eating disorders are bulimia and anorexia.
In 2019, 14 million people experienced eating disorders. This included almost 3 million children and adolescents.
The findings reflect widespread worsening mental health among youth during the pandemic brought on by increased isolation and engagement with social media.Â
Approximately 30 million Americans live with an eating disorder. According to a new meta-analysis, that total is more than 20 percent made up of children 18 and younger
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